I'm an entrepreneur, angel investor, venture capitalist, author and philanthropist. Most recently, I am the founder of Grow America, an organization dedicated to helping business builders nationwide and worldwide. I have an MBA and forty years of business experience as a CEO. I have launched ten companies. Four were failures. MarketStar, Island Park Investments and Mercato Partners are home runs. I currently have sixty investments in emerging start up firms. I know how to launch, grow and sell a business. I write columns on a range of entrepreneurial topics to teach and guide visionaries to realize their business dreams. I am passionate about building strong corporate cultures and coaching the next generation of exceptional leaders.

10 Simple Product Ideas That Made Billions (Infographic)

Over the weekend I posted about Grow America and the Product Innovation Competition. I hope every entrepreneur with a good idea is checking it out.

Regardless, here’s some inspiration for everyone contemplating the start of a new business – Grow America’s infographic on 10 simple product ideas that have made billions. Will your own great idea be next? I’m banking on it. Read and enjoy.

10 Simple Product Ideas That Made Billions – An infographic by Grow America

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James, I have definite thoughts on the elements communities need to support entrepreneurial innovation within their own locales. You will see much more from me on that topic during 2013. As for government involvement in our corporations and businesses, I like the statement Utah Governor Gary Herbert made (that I recently quoted in Forbes): “We believe government should stay out of our wallets and off of our backs.” It sounds like your opinion’s the same. Thanks again for your comments – Regards, Alan

Alan you should also mention that good ideas are a dime a dozen. Great ideas are a dollar each. And incredible ideas are 10 dollars each. My point is, it’s what you do with your idea, not just making a suggestion and sitting back to collect royalties. You would be surprised on how many people think like that. Great article, loved it!

Apparently the inventor met the very key criteria for business – be sure, in advance, that you have customers willing to pay the price you need for the product you offer. Clearly crocs fulfilled an interest or need even though they’re not for everybody. So as inspiration for business creators, their success makes a point. Thanks for writing, Irina! Regards, Alan

Where is James Dyson cited, and, more to the point, where are the mentions of the many inventors who had their ideas and prototypes purloined? Around the entire Earth, not just in a navel-gazing USA, how many trillions in royalties are owed Nicolai Tesla, if only symbolically?

Has anyone noticed that most of those 10 were innovations from decades ago? Innovations made more by individuals or by then-small companies, and less by big corporations? Who will be the new progenitors of beneficial ideas and things? Not a Sony, nor an Apple, nor by any of their robber-baron ilk.

James, have you read Clayton Christensen’s books, or my recent columns in which I provide a review? You have struck an important point. Enabling innovations are the ideas that produce major breakthroughs in science and in industry and that have the potential and ability to produce hundreds of thousands of jobs. They are slowing. But great innovations are in the hands of today’s startup companies and entrepreneurs. Let’s hope we can find and support them. I also suggest you review my materials at Grow America. I would welcome your thoughts. And thanks for your note! Regards, Alan